Pillow Talk
by CharmedRumbelle
Summary: After their encounters with Merida and the Dark Swan, Belle and Rumpelstiltskin return home to work toward fixing their broken relationship. This one shot takes place immediately after the events of 5x06 - "The Bear and the Bow." This is the conversation that Rumbelle NEEDS to have, but since I doubt that the show will ever give it to us, I decided to write it myself.


_This one shot takes place immediately after the events of 5x06 - "The Bear and the Bow." This is the conversation that Rumbelle NEEDS to have, but since I doubt that the show will ever give it to us, I decided to write it myself. Feedback is always welcome!_

 _I do not own 'Once Upon a Time.'_

 ** _Pillow Talk_**

Belle and Rumple entered the house after their hectic day with Merida and Emma. Rumple was leaning on his cane heavily, as he was quite sore from the day's events. "Come on – why don't you go sit down and I'll make some dinner, I'm sure you're quite hungry." Belle said as she led him to the sofa in the living room. Rumple groaned as he sat down, then immediately stretched out, dropping his cane to the floor. "Here, let's take your jacket and tie off before you lie down, you'll be more comfortable."

"Thank you." Rumple said quietly as Belle helped him remove his jacket and tie. Rumple then reclined back on the sofa, and Belle began to remove his shoes.

"Where did you get the shoes from? I took them off while you were in the coma." Belle said.

"You'd have to ask Emma that. My comfort was not exactly foremost on her mind." Rumple replied.

"How's your leg feel?" Belle asked.

"It's alright." Rumple said, and Belle could tell he was lying. She knew he was in pain, but she thought he'd been through enough already that day to press the issue.

"Let me get dinner started. Then maybe you should take a nice warm bath, I think you'll feel much better after that." Belle suggested.

"That sounds lovely." Rumple said.

"Anything particular you'd like for dinner?" Belle asked.

"Whatever you'd like is fine with me." Rumple replied.

"Okay." Belle said, and she headed into the kitchen. She rummaged through the refrigerator and cupboards and realized she didn't have much there. There wasn't exactly time for grocery shopping since she'd returned from a six-week excursion that she still had no memory of. Not satisfied that there was enough in the house for her to make a meal, she headed back into the living room. "Rumple, I'm gonna go get -" Belle began, then stopped when she noticed that Rumpelstiltskin was sound asleep on the sofa. Belle quietly walked over to his side, removed the blanket that was tossed over the back of the sofa, and covered him up with it. "I'll be back in a bit." Belle whispered, and she left the room.

* * *

Belle returned almost an hour later with several bags of food from Granny's diner. She set them down on the counter and went into the living room to peek in on Rumpelstiltskin. He was still sleeping soundly. She hated to wake him but she seriously doubted that he had eaten much since waking from his coma. He no longer had magic and he needed to eat and sleep and learn to be a normal man once again. Belle went back into the kitchen and set the table with their food, then went back to the living room once again. She sat down on the edge of the sofa and gently caressed his cheek. "Rumple." Belle whispered. Rumpelstiltskin's eyes fluttered open and he looked up at her. "I have dinner ready." Rumple groaned as he sat up.

"How long was I sleeping?" he asked.

"About an hour, I think. You must be exhausted." Belle said, and he nodded his head.

"A bit sore too. How about you, are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine. I kind of want to get to bed myself, it's been a long day. But – you need to keep up your strength if you're going to be a hero now." Belle said. "You don't have magic anymore; you can't go days on end without eating or resting."

"I suppose not." Rumple agreed.

"Well, come on – I have dinner all ready at the table." Belle said. She handed him his cane and he stood up and made his way into the kitchen, with Belle following behind. "I didn't have much here to eat so I ran over to Granny's." Rumpelstiltskin smiled – burgers, fries, and iced tea – it was their favorite thing on the menu. "She didn't even charge me for the extra pickles."

"How generous of her." Rumple said, and he sat down at the table. Belle sat down across from him, and they began to eat their dinner. Rumpelstiltskin gobbled his burger down as if he hadn't eaten in ages.

"Rumple, slow down, it's not going anywhere." Belle said.

"Sorry. I'm quite hungry. You didn't bring dessert by chance, did you?" he asked.

"Now what would a dinner from Granny's be without dessert?" Belle asked. She walked over to the counter and two small boxes out of a bag. She opened a cupboard and took out two plates and on them, she placed two pieces of cherry pie and took them over to the table. "One of these is mine, in case you get any ideas." Belle said, and she went back to finishing her own dinner.

"You going to finish all of your fries?" Rumple asked. Belle smiled at him.

"No, help yourself." Belle said, and he swiped a few of the French fries off of her plate and began to eat them, then he dove into his cherry pie slice. "I see you worked up quite an appetite today."

"Just a bit." He replied.

"Well, I'm glad." Belle said.

"So you – you never moved out then?" he asked.

"I thought about it. I did spend a few nights at the library apartment, but – I missed our home." Belle said.

"You didn't bring your scrappy little friend here, did you?" he asked.

"Of course not." Belle responded.

"I suppose it's not my business anyway but -"

"Rumple – Will and I were never – together. That's what you want to know, isn't it?" Belle asked.

"Okay." Rumple replied quietly. "I think I'm gonna go have that bath."

"You need help?" Belle asked, and he gave her a surprised look. "I mean – getting up the stairs."

"I'll manage." He said. "You um – you didn't burn my clothes, did you?"

"No – they're still in our room." Belle said. Rumpelstiltskin smiled a bit. She said _our_ room. Perhaps there was a spark of hope yet for them.

After she finished eating and cleaning up the kitchen a bit, Belle headed upstairs. Rumpelstiltskin was sitting on the edge of the bed in a pair of pajamas, his hair a bit damp. He was holding a photo in his hand and staring at it. "How was your bath?" Belle asked.

"Good." He replied. Belle sat down next to him. "You kept it." Rumple said, looking down at the photo – their wedding photo.

"How could I not? I didn't want to erase you from my life." Belle said. "It wasn't all bad."

"It wasn't all good either." he said, and he set the photo down on the nightstand.

"Let's get you settled in bed. I think a good night's sleep will do well for you." Belle said. Rumpelstiltskin stood up for a moment and allowed Belle to pull back the covers, and he set his cane against the wall and climbed into bed. Belle helped tuck him in.

"Belle – I know I don't have any right to ask this of you, but – do you think you could find it in your heart to – stay with me tonight? I don't want to be alone." he said, almost whimpering the words. Belle just smiled a soft smile at him, then got up and left the room. Rumpelstiltskin lay in bed quietly, not knowing what to think as he heard the shower in her bathroom turn on from a distance. He had given her her own room when she moved in with him after leaving the asylum, but she only used it for closet space to store the extensive wardrobe he had given her. Nothing but the best for his Belle. She always spent the night with him, even though he never expected her to. It just didn't seem right anymore, sleeping in the room without Belle. But, he thought, she obviously didn't want to take that step yet. Finally he reached over, turned out the light, and settled under the covers to try and get some sleep.

Several minutes later, he heard footsteps coming into the room. "Rumple? Are you still awake?" Belle whispered.

"Yes." he replied, and he felt Belle sit down on the edge of the bed next to him.

"Good. May I have my side of the bed back, please?" she asked.

"Of course." he replied, and he slid over to the left side of the bed as Belle climbed under the covers with him.

"Goodnight Rumple." Belle said, and she rolled onto her side, her back to him.

"Goodnight, Belle." he said in reply. He reached out to touch her hair, then stopped himself. She wasn't ready for that, he could tell. But she was trying. At this point it was all that he could ask for.

* * *

Belle awoke first the next morning, and when she opened her eyes she found herself face to face with her husband, their foreheads and noses touching. She felt his warm breath on her face as he snored quietly. Belle presumed that they must have both moved about quite a bit in their sleep that night. As she moved to get up, she accidentally bumped him with her forehead, and Rumpelstiltskin grumbled as he reached for her, sleepily wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. "I miss you so much, Belle." he mumbled, still half asleep.

"I missed you too." Belle replied. Rumpelstiltskin's eyes shot open, and he awakened quickly.

"Belle, I'm sorry, I – I thought it was a dream." he admitted as he sat up.

"It's okay." Belle said, sitting up with him. "I take it you slept well, then?"

"Very well. You?" he asked.

"Haven't slept this well in weeks. I'd forgotten how much I missed your snoring." Belle teased. "You hungry?"

"Famished. Do we have anything to eat?" he asked.

"I can probably scrounge up some cereal or something." Belle said.

"I'll help." he suggested.

"No, you stay here in bed, I want you to rest. You were in a coma for almost two months, I want to make sure you're recovered from that." Belle said.

"I'm fine, really." Rumple said.

"I really would like you to see Dr. Whale sometime this week – just to be sure." Belle said.

"Excuse me if I don't hold the opinion of Dr. Frankenstein in the highest regard." he remarked.

"Well, it's not like we have many choices here. You just stay put, I'll be right back." Belle said.

"Belle, really, I -"

"Didn't you say something yesterday about knowing better than to argue with me?" Belle teased.

"I suppose I did." he replied.

"Alright then. I'll be back in a bit with breakfast." Belle said, and she hopped out of bed and left the room. Rumple got out of bed to use the bathroom, then got back in bed to wait for Belle. She arrived back in the room about twenty minutes later carrying a tray, which she carefully set down on the bed.

"At least I got to the store and got some milk and a few other things. I'll have to do some shopping later." Belle said. On the tray were two bowls of cereal and two teacups filled with hot tea. "We're out of orange juice, I'm sorry."

"Tea is fine. Thank you." Rumple said as Belle climbed back into bed and joined him in eating breakfast.

"I know you prefer our – our cup, but – it's at the shop. I just couldn't have it in the house with me." Belle said.

"It's not at the shop, Belle." Rumple said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Merida took it, she must have broken into the shop when you weren't there. She used it to – taunt me. When she left me tied up in the woods I was able to get to it and – and I broke it." Rumple said, his voice trembling. "I needed something to cut the ropes so that I could get to you, I'm so sorry Belle."

"It's okay." Belle said. "We – we can go out there and get the pieces, we can put it back together."

"I don't have magic anymore." Rumple said.

"We don't need magic. Ever heard of super glue?" Belle asked.

"It's broken into too many pieces Belle, even if we were to put them all back together – it'd just look a mess. A patched up mess." Rumple said.

"Rumple – there are always scars when things get broken, but – after a while – you don't even notice." Belle said. Rumpelstiltskin didn't know what to say in reply, so he simply continued to eat his breakfast in silence, as did Belle. When they were finished, Belle picked up the tray. "I'm going to take this to the kitchen, I'll be right back." she said, and she carried the tray out of the room. Rumpelstiltskin waited in bed for her, and smiled when she returned to the room.

"So now what?" he asked as she got back into bed with him.

"I don't know." Belle said.

"Do you want to try, Belle? To work this out?" he asked.

"I'm here, aren't I?" Belle asked in response. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to try."

"I supposed you wouldn't." he agreed.

"What about Emma?" Belle asked.

"What about her?" he asked in reply.

"She has to be stopped." Belle said.

"Yes she does." he agreed. "I remember what those first months were like, when the dark curse took hold of me. The voices – taunting me – dragging me further and further into darkness. I learned to temper them over time, but – early on – I was not someone you'd want to tangle with."

"I just don't want you doing anything – Rumpelstiltskin-y." Belle said, and she mimicked the hand gesture that he often used back in the Dark Castle. Rumple couldn't help but laugh.

"I will make every effort to be on my best behavior." Rumple promised. "No more secrets. No more lies. I promise." Belle moved to reach into the nightstand drawer, and she pulled out a small box and opened it. The box contained her wedding ring.

"I took this off after I sent you away." Belle said. Rumpelstiltskin looked at her as if he were about to cry. "If I put this back on my hand – it doesn't mean things are fixed between us. Not yet." Rumple simply nodded in agreement. "I'm not sure I trust you yet, Rumple – I'm sorry to say that but I need time. But if we're going to fix this – if we're going to put the chipped cup back together – scars and all – we have to start somewhere." Belle took the ring out of the box, and Rumple grabbed her hand.

"Let me. Please." he begged. Belle handed him the ring and he carefully placed it back onto her finger, then he gently kissed her hand. "I do love you, Belle. I've never stopped loving you."

"I love you too." Belle told him. She moved in slowly to kiss him, and they gently touched their lips together, sharing a small but tender kiss. Belle then leaned up against him, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Thank you – for giving me another chance." Rumple whispered. "You've already given me far more than I deserve."

"I've – I've made mistakes too. You couldn't walk when you crossed that town line, could you?" Belle asked.

"Belle, let's not talk about that right now." Rumple said.

"I didn't even think about that. I was so angry at you I just – I was so angry that you loved power more than me."

"Belle, that's not true, that was never true." Rumple said.

"But the gauntlet – it led me to -"

"My dagger. My weakness." Rumple told her.

"But – you said that the gauntlet leads you to the thing the person loves the most." Belle said.

"No – it leads you to their greatest weakness. I said that for _most_ people, their greatest weakness was the thing they love the most. But that was never the case for me." Rumple said, and Belle sat up a bit and looked at him. "Belle – you're not my weakness. You're my strength. You have been for longer than you know, and for longer than I was willing to admit." Tears began to form in Belle's eyes, and she reached up and touched his face.

"Rumple. I'm so sorry." she whispered. "I'm so sorry." Belle moved in close to him once again and kissed him, this time with more fervor, their tongues intertwining with one another.

"It's alright. You did what you thought was best. I understand." Rumple said. He wrapped his arms tightly around Belle and she snuggled up to him, resting her head on his chest, her ear pressed against his heart.

"You have a strong heartbeat. That's good." Belle said.

"I have a new start thanks to you. I won't let you down this time. I promise." Rumple said.

"I think we're going to be okay." Belle told him.

"I think so, too." Rumpelstiltskin said, and as he kissed the top of her forehead, he realized that, for the first time, he believed it to be true.

THE END.


End file.
